Thousand Oaks Acorn: Successful Recycling Depends on Participation by Everyone

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 28, 2008

By Stephanie Bertholdo

As more Americans strive to protect the environment and seek products that reduce energy consumption, hardly a day goes by when the term “going green” isn’t heard at least somewhere on the street.

California’s recycling programs, which have been in existence for nearly two decades, seem simple enough: Place landscape clippings in one container; paper, glass, plastic and metal in another container; and the rest of the trash in a garbage bin.

Trash companies will haul the refuse away, but where it ends up and whether the stuff is successfully recycled depends upon a multitude of players and who’s in the mood for cooperation.

In many of the local communities, Waste Management is the company that collects the various blends of waste. Some of it is hauled to the landfill, or dump, while the rest finds new life as recycled products.

Kit Cole, a spokesperson for Waste Management of Ventura County, which operates in Los Angeles County, Thousand Oaks, Oak Park, Simi Valley and Moorpark, says her company doesn’t want residents to make recycling their “second job,” but consumers need to be aware of certain rules to make recycling work.

“The big thing is contamination,” Cole said. “People put the wrong stuff in the wrong containers.” Trash is sometimes dumped into recycling containers, while plastic milk jugs and other recyclable materials end up with the same garbage destined for the landfill.

“The goal for consumers, and the rule that I follow at home, is get (recyclable material) as clean and dry as you can,” Cole said. “You need to make sure how you’re recycling in your house is as easy and convenient as possible. Making it easy is what will make it successful.”

Cole said “dirty MRFing” is a term trash companies use when trash and recyclables become mixed. At the MRF (materials recycling facility), some companies take the initiative to dump the mixed heaps on a concrete slab and separate them, but Cole said Waste Management does not support dirty MRFing.

“We use the clean MRF approach,” she said, explaining that her company does not want to endanger the health of its workers by having them pick through pet waste, needles and other refuse that might pose a risk.

The responsibility is the consumer’s. If recyclables are not placed in the correct bin, the material ends up in the landfill, Cole said.

Split Forces

Laurie Ackerman, a resident of Mountain View Estates in the unincorporated area of Calabasas, has a gripe with her trash company, Universal Waste Management. The company replaced GI Industries as the area’s trash hauling company on April 1. The company’s trucks are divided into sections and, according to Ackerman, the recyclables and green waste sometimes become mixed with regular trash and the whole bundle incorrectly winds up in the Calabasas landfill.

Ackerman has complained to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Matt Blackburn, manager of Universal Waste Management, said his firm’s split trucks are not always used for hauling reyclables in one compartment and mixed trash in the other compartment. On two or three days per week, both compartments of the split truck are used for general trash, Blackburn said.

Despite the challenges of keeping trash separate, Blackburn said Universal Waste Management has increased its trash diversion rate —the amount of waste that goes to recycling— to 54 percent in the last three months, up from about 20 percent when the company took over from GI Industries.

“The numbers speak for themselves,” Blackburn said.

Recyclable materials are diverted to several companies, including Sun Valley Paper Stock Inc. and the Allan Company, which purchase recyclable materials and sell the renewed products to commercial and industrial businesses.

Universal Waste Management also sells recycled manure, Blackburn said. Animal waste is turned into compost and then sold to nurseries, which prepare the compost as a fertilizer.

Cole said Waste Management doesn’t use the split trucks.

“We found that when you split a truck, the different sections of the truck don’t fill up evenly,” Cole said. “It’s not an efficient use of fuel to have a truck driving around full of trash but only half full of recyclables. From a carbon footprint perspective, it’s more efficient to run one type of material per truck.”

To the Market

Alex Farassati, the environmental services supervisor for the city of Calabasas, said the sucess of recycling depends on certain market forces. Burbank Recycling processes construction and demolition waste, while Crown Disposal Company of Sun Valley combines food waste with green waste and sells the product to farmers in the form of compost.

Electronic waste is collected by a different contractor altogether, Farassati said. Products are separated, sorted, dismantled and purchased by various businesses. “Each piece goes to a different destination,” he said, although not all components find a home and may eventually wind up back in the landfill.

Calabasas has a goal of putting 75 percent of its waste into recycling by 2012, Farassati said.

Hazardous Waste Collection

Household hazardous waste services are available in most cities.

In Agoura Hills, residents can drop off used batteries, paint, oil and other chemicals at city hall on the first Saturday of every month.

In Calabasas and Hidden Hills, household hazardous waste can be brought to the Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center. Calabasas has several used battery drop-off points in the city.

Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley run a monthly hazarous waste service and residents of Camarillo and Moorpark can schedule a collection by appointment.

Westlake Village even offers a door-to-door pickup.

Most cities don’t collect the waste in December due to the holidays.

For a comprehensive guide to to the products that could end up in a landfill but shouldn’t, visit www.earth911.org.

Lake County News Sun: Beach 9-1-1

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 26, 2008

By Frank Abderholden

It was a rough year for beach closings along Lake Michigan, but Lake County officials say a recent environmental group’s report overstates the problem of poor water quality.

The National Resource Defense Council released its 18th annual report on the state of public beaches and urged passage of the Beach Protection Act (Senate Bill 2844) to boost water-quality monitoring and pollution tracking for beaches throughout the country. The Beach Act overwhelmingly passed the U.S. House in April, but is stalled in the Senate.

According to the council’s report, beach safety advisories were up 34 percent in Illinois in 2007. These numbers do not include inland beaches. While Illinois had the highest percent exceedances in the nation in 2007, sampling frequency for Great Lakes beaches are among the highest in the nation.

Mike Adams, the Lake County Health Department’s senior biologist, said that is the part of the study that is causing the most commentary. He said it’s easy to have fewer exceedances with less testing. Lake County tests a lot and is likely to have more exceedances, he said.

“I don’t think it paints a true picture of what’s going on. In Michigan, they monitor a couple of times a month, so there are less exceedances,” Adams said.

They also use Swimcast, which can predict when it is likely that the E. coli bacteria will exceed standards because of rainfall or the direction of the wind. Three beaches on Lake Michigan have that technology.

“That way, we keep people out of the water when they are supposed to be out of the water,” Adams said, explaining that regular tests have a time lapse before they are complete so the beach is open when it shouldn’t be.

Lake County had three beaches in the top 10 of exceedances: North Point Marina North Beach, Waukegan South Beach, and Naval Station Great Lakes’ Nunn Beach.

Most of the E. coli bacteria recorded at beaches comes from seagull waste.

The county has put up signs warning residents not to feed the gulls in an attempt to reduce the number of gulls at beaches.

Adams also said that heavy rains last August led to an unusual amount of beach closings.

He said the Health Department is also looking into infrastructure problems along the north shore, where a number of ravines lead to the lake. Small sewer leaks can elevate E. coli counts.

U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Highland Park, urged passage of the Beach Protection Act at a press conference Monday at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium.

“It’s important because it’s the source of our drinking water and makes up a good part of recreation in the summertime,” he said.

Kirk said the bill will require the Environmental Protection Agency to tighten up its standards, adding that he would like to see common standards applied to all the states so avoid disparities like Michigan, where they test less.

“What is the actual state of the lake? If we have problems, then we need to get to work,” he said.

Beach alerts

To receive alerts about beach closings, sign up at Earth911.org. Participants will receive an e-mail each time the status of a beach has changed.

St. Petersburg Times: Earth 911 Helps With Used Oil

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 26, 2008

I change my own oil. Are there any auto part stores that collect the used motor oil?

Yes, there are. Go to the Web site earth911.org and search motor oil in your ZIP code or city. Be sure to call first to determine if the store is still accepting oil. Earth911.org offers recycling drop-off locations for paper, plastic, paint and other products. According to its Web site, Earth 911’s free public service is made possible by partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state and local governments, and private companies including Monsanto, Staples and BP also sponsor this free public service.

KRDO News Channel 13: What Can I Do To Help Prevent Climate Change?

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 25, 2008

In the United States, approximately 6.6 tons (almost 15,000 pounds carbon equivalent) of greenhouse gases are emitted per person every year. And emissions per person have increased about 3.4% between 1990 and 1997. Most of these emissions, about 82 percent, are from burning fossil fuels to generate electricity and power our cars. The remaining emissions are from methane from wastes in our landfills, raising livestock, natural gas pipelines, and coal, as well as from industrial chemicals and other sources. (Source: US EPA).

With this said, also keep in mind that emissions vary based on the country and state in which you live. At the present time, the United States emits more greenhouse gasses per person than any other country. Emissions also vary by state as they are based on the many factors such as the types of fuel used to generate electricity, the total population of a state, and the amount of (and distance traveled by) commuters.

As an individual there are three areas where we can make the most impact in reducing carbon emissions - the electricity we use in our homes, the waste we produce, and the transportation we choose to use. According to the U.S. EPA, you can affect the emissions of about 4,800 pounds of carbon equivalent, or nearly 32% of the total emissions per person by the choices we make in these three areas. The other 68 percent of emissions are affected more by the types of industries in the U.S. the types of offices we use, how our food is grown and other factors (source: U.S. EPA). Below are tips on how to reduce carbon emissions and help stop climate change.

Ten Basic Tips To Help Stop Climate Change

Don’t have a lot of time, but want to take action? Here are ten, simple, everyday things each of us can do to help stop climate change. Pick one, some, or all. Every little effort helps and adds up to a whole lot of good.

Change a light. Replacing a regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent one saves 150 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.*

Drive less. Walk, bike, carpool, take mass transit, and/or trip chain. All of these things can help reduce gas consumption and one pound of carbon dioxide for each mile you do not drive.

Recycle more and buy recycled. Save up to 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide each year just by recycling half of your household waste. By recycling and buying products with recycled content you also save energy, resources and landfill space!

Check your tires. Properly inflated tires mean good gas mileage. For each gallon of gas saved, 20 pounds of carbon dioxide are also never produced.

Use less hot water. It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Reducing the amount used means big savings in not only your energy bills, but also in carbon dioxide emissions. Using cold water for your wash saves 500 pounds of carbon dioxide a year, and using a low flow showerhead reduces 350 pounds of carbon dioxide. Make the most of your hot water by insulating your tank and keeping the temperature at or below 120.

Avoid products with a lot of packaging. Preventing waste from being created in the first place means that there is less energy wasted and fewer resources consumed. When you purchase products with the least amount of packaging, not only do you save money, but you also help the environment! Reducing your garbage by 10 percent reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 1,200 pounds.

Adjust your thermostat. Keeping your thermostat at 68 degrees in winter and 78 degrees in summer not only helps with your energy bills, but it can reduce carbon dioxide emissions as well. No matter where you set your dial, two degrees cooler in the winter or warmer in the summer can mean a reduction of 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

Plant a tree. A single tree can absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.

Turn off electronic devices when not in use. Simply turning off your TV, VCR, computer and other electronic devices can save each household thousand of pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

Stay informed. Use the Earth 911 Web site to help stay informed about environmental issues, and share your knowledge with others. Together, we can and do Make Every Day Earth Day!

* Carbon emission figures from climatecrisis.org.

Peoria Times: Lost Dog Finds Way Home After Four-Day Absence

Filed under: Pets 911 - August 25, 2008

By Elizabeth Jackman

Bailey is living proof that miracles can happen.

The little silver and tan colored 3-year-old Terrier mix went missing on Aug. 5 in the area of 89th and Olive avenues, while being dog sat by relatives of her mom and dad, Terry and Scott Schmidt.

“I took her over to my sister-in-law’s home around 11:30 a.m. with my other dog, Zoe,” Terry said. “There was a little gap on the side of their gate and when my niece got home around 2 p.m., she couldn’t find her, she searched everywhere. She called me about 3 p.m.”

Terry said there were two other dogs at the house and everyone stayed but Bailey.

“That’s definitely the poodle in her,” she said.

They scoured the streets calling her name, talking to people in their yards and stopping motorists to ask if they’d seen her.

For four frantic days, Terry, Scott and relatives peppered the neighborhood with lost-dog fliers, offering a reward, placed ads in newspapers and Web sites, including Pets 911, Fido Finder and Craig’s List, and checked animal shelters.

“I also called the City of Peoria Animal Control to see if she had been picked up dead or alive and they had no record of her,” said Terry, who was sick with worry and grief. “My brother-in-law went to the shelter at 27th Avenue and Lower Buckeye; he must have looked at 500 dogs. On Friday, I went to the animal shelter on Hatcher, where they take injured and sick dogs and didn’t find her. It was very, very sad.”

Bailey was micro-chipped and had on a collar with a cylindrical container that had a little cap that could be unscrewed, and inside was a piece of paper with her name and address.

At 2 a.m. Saturday morning, Terry woke up when she heard the doggy door flap. She looked and Zoe was beside her and thought maybe it was the cat.

“I turned on the patio light and Zoe immediately went to the side of the house and barked,” Terry said. “Then, I heard the gate rattling, I thought I was imagining things.”

She considered calling 911, then thought she might feel stupid if she called and it turned out to be nothing. She went into her garage and listened from the side door and decided, yes, it was definitely the gate.

When she came out of her bedroom into the family room with the phone in her hand, she looked down and saw two dogs.

“I went hysterical screaming, ‘Oh, my God! Bailey, it’s you,” Terry said. “She had her tail tucked between her legs; she knew she had gotten into trouble. I called my sister-in-law and all I could say was, ‘she’s here, she’s here.’ She came over and we had the grand reunion.”

Scott said the three-mile journey to their home in the 8300 block of West Paradise Drive held a lot of perils for Bailey.

“The Loop 101, Grand Avenue and the railroad tracks, were just a few,” Scott said. “And there was also a monsoon on Thursday night.”

The pads on her paws were a little worn and tender and she slept all day Saturday, Terry said.

Several days later, Terry and Scott took her to the vet to have her checked out and make sure her microchip was in place, which it was.

“We don’t know where she spent those four days, if someone had her and she escaped to try and get home, or where she was,” Scott said.

Terry said Bailey must have picked up a scent when she got close to home from their morning walks when she marked her territory.

“She’s a smart one,” Scott said.

Their advice to pet owners is always have them micro-chipped, have tags with their names, addresses and phone numbers on them or some form of ID and a county license.

Terry said, “People should never lose hope because you never know. It’s a miracle with all of the obstacles that she made it home.”

Chicago Tribune: 5 Things to Know About Parting With Old Computers

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 24, 2008

By Karen Klages

You bought a new PC. You want to get rid of your old one. But what’s the eco-safe way to do that?

PC Magazine recently gave its tech-savvy readers the lowdown on computer retirement. But what’s a technophobe to do?

We talked to PC Magazine executive editor Jeremy Kaplan, who is based in New York, for some clarification on matters of PC recycling.

  1. Back it up. Make sure you preserve the files you might need from your old computer. That’s most easily done by backing up to an external hard drive, which is about the size of a “package of software” and plugs into a USB port. External hard drives can hold 50 to 500 gigabytes and cost $70 to $400. Kaplan’s vote for the “simplest, easiest, most idiot-proof” backup software package: the Maxtor One Touch (at Circuit City, Best Buy, etc.). Price: around $150.It’s “an external hard drive just like other ones, but it has a big, shiny, glowing button on the front. And it comes with backup software,” Kaplan explains. “You put the software into your computer. And then you push the big button on the hard drive and it does everything for you. It backs up your whole system.”
  2. Wipe it clean. You can’t assume your recycled computer will be mined for its parts. Someone might plug it in and try to use it–and access personal information still on your hard drive. There are a number of utilities available (for purchase) for wiping that hard drive completely, Kaplan says. But there’s also a free online utility, called Eraser 5.86, that you can download.But “be careful,” Kaplan says. “Once you launch it, there’s no going back. … It will systematically write over all the data in your computer.”
  3. Salvage certain parts. Hard drives, RAM modules, IDE cables, the cooling fan and optical drives are components that are easy (for other people, at least) to remove from your old computer—and ones that you might reuse in the future. These parts aren’t as prone to obsolescence as, say, the motherboard, power supply and graphics card. Ask your tech-savvy kid, neighbor, brother-in-law to perform the surgery.
  4. Return to sender. The best way to get rid of your old computer is to give it back to the manufacturer, Kaplan says. In theory, he says, the manufacturer knows best what’s in that computer and how to de-manufacture it. An increasing number of makers are stepping up their “lifecycle responsibility” and doing the take-back thing, Kaplan says. Visit computertakeback.org for a guide to which manufacturers will take back which computers. Some fees might be involved.
  5. Or, find a reputable recycling location. And know that many tech recyclers charge a fee. To find a tech recycling center near you, visit illinoisrecycles.org and click on the “E-cycling” link; visit earth911.org for more of the same; and consider the big-box stores such as Office Depot and Staples. They offer tech recycling programs for a small fee as well.

San Francisco Chronicle: Learn How to Conserve Water and Energy

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 23, 2008

By Bernadette Fay

The Home&Garden section routinely offers tips on how you can conserve water and energy. But there are many opportunities in the Bay Area to take conservation a step further with workshops and classes. The best part? They’re free or low cost. We’ve compiled a list to inspire your DIY spirit for the fall. But we’d also like to hear from you: Where do you go for free or inexpensive workshops to help you conserve? E-mail your favorites (put “energy savings” in the guideline) to home@sfchronicle.com.

Energy

PG&E: Ready to go solar? Pacific Gas and Electric Co. offers free workshops on solar basics for homeowners and builders at its Pacific Energy Center in San Francisco. The center offers exhibits, design tools and support to create energy-efficient buildings inside and out.

The utility offers a host of other classes—many are geared to professionals in the building industry but are open to the public—at both the energy center in San Francisco and its sister facility, the Energy Training Center in Stockton. Registration is required.

Past classes have included Designing a Successful Zero-Energy Home in California; Green/High Efficiency New Homes Workshop; Pool Filtration at Half the Cost; as well as hands-on workshops about lighting, insulation, heating and cooling.

The fall class schedule was being finalized as of press time but will include the popular Solar Power Basics for Residential Customers, 10 a.m.-noon Sept. 13 at the Pacific Energy Center, 851 Howard St.; (415) 973-2277. The class will be repeated Oct. 11 and Dec. 13.

For the entire fall class schedule or to register for a class, go to links.sfgate.com/ZEOK.

Tool time: PG&E also offers a tool lending library of more than 5,000 tools. Note that these are not carpentry tools but instruments - to measure wind, shading or energy leaks, or to take pictures of the sun’s path. They’re targeted to industrial commercial customers, but free to all PG&E customers.

For more information, go to links.sfgate.com/ZEOL.

Gardening

Bay friendly: StopWaste.Org’s Bay-Friendly Gardening Program offers free workshops, classes and resources to make gardening more environmentally friendly in Alameda County. (StopWaste.Org partners with several agencies, including East Bay Municipal Utility District, for the program.) The fall series begins in September. Among the offerings:

For the full fall class schedule or to register for a class, go to stopwaste.org.

Garden for the Environment: Free workshops in Resource Efficient Landscape Education are offered at this demonstration garden at Seventh Avenue and Lawton Street in San Francisco. Topics include native plant landscaping, rainwater harvesting and storage, and pest management. For more information and a workshop schedule, go to gardenfortheenvironment.org or call (415) 731-5627.

San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum: The garden offers free workshops for members of the arboretum (annual membership is $60) or the California Native Plant Society (annual membership is $45). Planting Natives for Pollinators class is at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 4 at the County Fair Building at Ninth Avenue and Lincoln Way in San Francisco. For more information, call (415) 661-1316, Ext. 303, or go to links.sfgate.com/ZEOO.

Salvias: The arboretum offers Native Salvias With Native Plant Partners 10 a.m.-noon Sept. 13. $20 members; $25 nonmembers. At the botanical garden, Ninth Avenue and Lincoln Way. To register for any class, call (415) 661-1316, Ext. 400.

Lawn, R.I.P.: Mindful of the East Bay’s drought conditions, Ploughshares Nursery in Alameda is giving folks an incentive to rip out their lawns with its Tear Out Your Lawn Challenge. To be eligible, participants must get rid of at least 40 percent of their lawn (you have to provide before-and-after pictures as proof). In exchange, you’ll receive a 20 percent off coupon good toward the purchase of drought-tolerant plants, plus a half-hour landscaping consultation with a nurseryman. The offer is good through the end of the year. For more information, go to www.ploughsharesnursery.com or call (510) 898-7811.

Water

EBMUD: Schedule a free water-conservation survey of your home and yard with the East Bay Municipal Utility District. It will include a test of showerhead and faucet flow rates and leaks, and you’ll get a free low-flow showerhead and faucet aerator if you don’t already have them. An outdoors landscaping surveyor will check your irrigation system and watering schedules.

For information, go to links.sfgate.com/ZEOM. To schedule a visit, e-mail custsvc@ebmud.com or call (866) 403-2683.

Workshops: EBMUD offers free water-conservation classes. Learn how to install a drip irrigation system, 2-4 p.m. Sept. 13 or Oct. 11, at the Irrigation Equipment Co., 2818 Eighth St. in Berkeley. Call (510) 841-9651 to reserve a spot. For information on other classes, go to links.sfgate.com/ZEON.

Ecology Center: The Ecology Center in Berkeley offers low-cost workshops on everything from raising chickens in the city to saving garden seeds. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 5, you can attend a workshop on using gray water, shower and laundry wastewater, for landscape irrigation. The class includes a tour of what it says is the first wetlands gray water system in California at its Ecohouse in Berkeley. $15, no one turned away for lack of funds. For more information or to register, go to ecologycenter.org and click on EcoCalendar or call (510) 548-2220, Ext. 242.

Online Resources

GulfNews: Burping Cows “Costing the Earth”

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 23, 2008

By Emmanuelle Landais

Would you rather eat kangaroo than beef to lower your carbon footprint? Eating a hamburger or beef shawarma is actually affecting the ozone layer—even more than driving your car.

The most damaging thing in meat production is the methane, a greenhouse gas, emitted by cattle into the atmosphere.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) the greenhouse emissions generated by livestock reportedly creates 18 per cent more greenhouse gases than transport.

Methane is about 20 times more toxic than carbon dioxide so urgent action is needed to remedy the situation, say experts. Henning Steinfeld, Chief of the FAO’s Livestock Information and Policy Branch said livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems.

A study by Japanese scientists showed that to produce 1 kilogram of beef created more than 35kg of carbon dioxide.

So what can you do to reduce your carbon footprint as a meat eater? Kangaroo meat could be the solution.

Different Systems

An Australian scientist, Dr George Wilson of the Australian Wildlife Services, recently revealed that eating kangaroo instead of beef could significantly help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Kangaroos produce virtually no methane because their digestive systems are different to sheep and cows. Australia already produces 30 million kangaroos farmed by landholders in the outback.

Dr Wilson told the BBC: “It tastes excellent, not unlike venison—only a different flavour.”

But beef is not all bad. Lean red meat such as beef, lamb and veal contains a wide range of essential nutrients and is a major source of high-quality protein, said Sara Adhami, Australian Accredited Practising Dietician with the APC clinic in Dubai’s Healthcare City.

Australian and American healthy eating guidelines recommend red meat consumption of three to four servings of 120g per week.

“People in Western societies tend to be eating more than this recommendation,” said Adhami.

In its Livestock’s Long Shadow Environmental Issues and Options report the FAO states that the global livestock sector is growing faster than any other agricultural sub-sector, however the livestock business is among the most damaging sectors to the earth’s increasingly scarce water resources, contributing among other things to water pollution and the degeneration of coral reefs.

The Footprint Network, the people behind the ecological impact calculator, states that if people pledged to reduce the amount of animal products they eat by half, 18 million fewer global hectares would be needed, the equivalent of 8 million football fields.

You need to “think globally” say the founders of earth911.com—a website that provides recycling tips by way of a green recycling locator box.

The box helps people find where they can recycle by entering a product and their location.

A division of Global Alerts, a media company based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Earth 911 centralises information and resources into a single, user-friendly, neutral and non-governmental network.

It delivers “actionable local information on recycling” that encourages consumers to act locally, live responsibly and contribute to sustainability.

Contests

Kerbside recycling now serves half of the US population. The most commonly included materials are “The Big Five”: aluminium cans, glass bottles, paper, plastic and steel/tin cans.

National contests further the cause by way of prize money—students are encouraged to go green and earn money. Some contests allow classrooms and schools to team up.

Worcester Telegram: Good Question

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 23, 2008

Question: I change my own oil. Are there any auto parts stores that collect the used motor oil?

Answer: Yes, there are. Go to the Web site earth911.org and search motor oil in your ZIP code or city. Be sure to call first to determine if the store is still accepting oil. Earth911.org offers recycling drop-off locations for paper, plastic, paint and other products. According to its Web site, Earth 911’s free public service is made possible by partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state and local governments, and private companies including Monsanto, Staples and BP.

Seattle Times: Going Back-to-School Shopping? Be Kind to Your Wallet and the Planet

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 23, 2008

By Tom Watson

The never-ending parental juggling act gets even trickier at back-to-school time, especially if you want to go green and spend lean.

Finding greener, cheaper alternatives for your school-bound children isn’t necessarily the hardest part—you also need to make sure they will actually use what you buy.

These tips will help you get the greenest bang for your buck.

Reclaim the Season

The National Retail Federation, which keeps track of holiday spending, lists the back-to-school season right alongside Christmas and Halloween. Americans are expected to spend $51 billion on back-to-school-related shopping (including college) this year—more than we spend for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Easter combined.

It may be a holiday for retailers, but the timing is unfortunate for parents and kids. Late summer usually brings us the best weather of the year, plus a whirlwind of activities including Bumbershoot, the Puyallup Fair and countless sports and recreational diversions.

This year, aim for more fun, less shopping and more savings.

For basic school supplies, try to buy only what’s required by the school or specific teachers. Since those grade-by-grade supply lists sent out by the schools often run from 10 to 20 items, you and the planet just can’t afford to buy additional stuff.

And don’t be intimidated by those lists. If a school list for your second-grader mentions a brand name of scissors, for example, it will probably be fine to send a generic pair of school scissors you already have. Also feel free to ask a teacher if substitutions are OK.

If you are sure you will use up an item, such as notebook paper, buy it in bulk. Keep all your extra school supplies on one shelf where everyone in your family can easily find them. Buy recycled-content paper when possible. It may cost slightly more in some cases, but prices have gradually been dropping for recycled-paper products.

Tough Stuff

From school supplies to clothes, you can save money in the long run if you spend a little extra for more durable items. Sometimes it’s a difficult call. For example, many notebooks, weekly planners and folders now have hard plastic covers, which are not recyclable. But in some situations, those plastic covers may keep your kids from having to throw away a whole notebook because it got wet or trashed.

Creative and Thrifty

For back-to-school clothes, the key to going green and saving money is to know what your child will wear. Thrift and consignment stores are perfect for shopping for younger children who don’t have strong opinions about their clothes, or individualistic older kids.

If you give your teenagers a clothing allowance, remind them they can save money (read: Get more) by buying some clothes or accessories used. The Capitol Hill and University District neighborhoods in Seattle boast many thrift and consignment stores with merchandise that especially appeals to kids and teens. You can also reduce your purchases of new clothes by using fabric paint or iron-ons to rejuvenate thrift-store items or siblings’ old clothes.

The Lunch Crunch

Healthful foods packed in a lunchbox frequently end up in the school garbage can. To avoid this, bring your kids to the farmers market with you to pick out stuff they will eat. Local, organic fruit and veggies at farmers markets often cost less than in groceries, and some farmers at the markets sell lunchbox-friendly items such as dried apple chips.

Buying large sizes of grocery and snack items instead of individual-serving sizes can save a family of four $2,000 a year, according to Earth 911, an Arizona-based environmental partnership. But before you buy a five-pound bag of raisins for school lunches, for example, try to make sure your kids will consistently eat them.

Another way to save big is by sending kids to school with a reusable water bottle instead of single-use bottles. If the reusable bottle is hard, colored plastic, it should say “BPA-free.” The chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, may leach from some older plastic bottles under certain conditions.

Also stay away from reusable lunch boxes or bags made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC, or vinyl). Production of PVC has been linked to health problems, and some older vinyl lunch boxes may contain high levels of lead. Reusablebags.com has a large selection of safe, durable lunch bags and water bottles, though some are on the pricey side.

Higher Education the Green Way

A checklist on a major retailer’s Web site lists 115 items a student needs when going off to college. But 40 is more like it. Most dorm rooms aren’t even big enough to hold all the stuff stores push. To prevent unnecessary purchases, students should always check with their roommates to see who’s bringing what.

College students spend an average of $900 a year on textbooks, according to the Washington Student Public Interest Research Group (WashPIRG). To cut those costs, try Campus Book Swap, an online-textbook exchange supported by WashPIRG and similar groups around the country. Numerous Web sites —including the biggie, Seattle-based Amazon.com— also offer used textbooks (and not just for college students).

With all the advantages of going green when back-to-school shopping, one unexpected benefit may be the most welcome: You and your kids will actually agree on something.

Plenty Magazine: What’s Kleenoil Technology?

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 18, 2008

Q. Kleenoil seems to be huge in Texas, but what exactly is it? Does it really lighten the environmental impact of driving?

—Marie, TX

A. Fun Fact: Oil changes are necessary not because oil “wears out” after 3,000 miles, but rather because it becomes contaminated by particulate matter. That’s because most run-of-the-mill oil filters can only filter out particles of about 40 microns in size, or larger. (A human hair is about 70 microns in width, just to give you an idea). The Kleenoil Bypass Oil Filtration System, on the other hand, claims to filter out particles as tiny as one micron. So yes, Kleenoil extends the life of your oil, says Jon Cleveland, managing director of sales and marketing at Kleenoil.

Unfortunately, the Kleenoil filtration unit is a bit pricey: $400 for passenger vehicles, or $700 to $900 for commercial vehicles. The company says that commercial buyers will see a return on their investment in just two to three oil changes, and that for the rest of us, filters will take about two to three years to pay for themselves. Keep in mind that you must also buy wood pulp filter cartridges (which can cost about $20 to $30 and need to be changed every 3,000 miles) to use in the Kleenoil unit.

But if the company’s claims are accurate, and you really will drive between 25,000 to 50,000 miles before needing an oil change, the technology is great news for your pocketbook and for the environment. Motor oil is no joke: According to the Earth911, one gallon of the stuff can contaminate a million gallons of water. It’s a major source of pollution in waterways and in drinking water.

If you can’t afford a Kleenoil unit right now, consider recycling your used motor oil. Lots of oil change services, including Jiffy Lube and Autozone, now offer the hugely important service.

—Jessica A. Knoblauch

South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Techno-Trash Doesn’t Have to End Up in Landfill

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 17, 2008

By Tim Paradis

I buy more music and movies online and my CDs, videos, cassette tapes and even some DVDs are now just taking up space on the shelf. How can I recycle old media materials?

Consumers shouldn’t toss old CDs or videos into the trash. They could contain chemicals and metals that don’t belong in a landfill.

Check with a library, school or community center to see if they have use for them. Beyond that, it’s smart to ask a sanitation department if it recycles such items.

The Environmental Protection Agency points consumers to resources such as earth911.org, which lists services that handle the recycling of various materials. Earth 911 offers more than 2,900 locations that handle media such as CDs and DVDs.

There are also companies such as GreenDisk.com that make a business of collecting what it calls “technotrash” from around the country. Mickey Friedman, chief operating officer at GreenDisk, said consumers are starting to ask more questions about what to do with the electronic detritus building up in basements, garages and attics.

Consumers and businesses can send old media to GreenDisk for processing. The company will handle up 20 pounds for about $7 and charges 30 cents a pound after that.

Newport Daily Press: Obsolete Electronics Don’t Just Fade Away—and That’s Our Problem

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 17, 2008

TVs, computers, cell phones, personal GPS systems. They are all around us, constantly changing the ways we communicate and disseminate information.

But what do you do with your latest gadget when it becomes obsolete, so-called e-junk?

For Hampton Roads residents, the answer isn’t so clear. One option is to simply leave it on the curb.

But in a time when environmental awareness is at its peak, recycling and reuse are considered far more socially responsible. The problem with sending e-junk to the landfill is that many of our favorite devices contain harmful metals and chemicals that could leak into the ground or groundwater.

The greatest concern is over lead, mercury, brominated flame retardants and cadmium used for important performance characteristics.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average TV and computer monitor contains four pounds of lead in their cathode ray tube.

Have a flat screen or flat panel? The bulbs that light up the screen contain mercury.

Because of the significant cost of safely transporting and breaking down toxic chemicals and metals, most area waste management facilities don’t offer recycling services.

“It is a big looming elephant in the room, but to date, there is not recycling service for TVs,” said Laurel Halperin, recycling and beatification coordinator for York County.

New Kent County is one local government offering a regular, daily recycling option for TVs. Residents might be required to show proof of residency. Having either a New Kent decal or a letter of authorization from the New Kent County administrative building will suffice.

Residents can drop off one TV or monitor a day free of charge at the main New Kent refuse site on Olivet Church Road between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The equipment should be placed in the 20-foot container provided.

From there, the equipment will be shipped to a New Jersey plant certified to recycle consumer electronics.

Other localities have specific drop-off dates when residents can bring computer monitors and accessories that coincide with household chemical drop-off dates:

The EPA reported that in 2005, about two million tons of e-junk was thrown out. Of that, about 80 percent to 85 percent was discarded in landfill—leaving roughly 380,000 tons to be recycled.

Learn More About Recycling

St. Petersburg Times: Recycling Sites for Compact Bulbs

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 16, 2008

Someone asked the other day where to recycle compact fluorescent bulbs. Don’t just throw them in the trash because they contain minute amounts of mercury. Home Depot has a national recycling program. More information and other recycling sites: Go to earth911.org or epa.gov/bulbrecycling.

Vacaville Reporter: Be Careful About Giving Support to Puppy Mills

Filed under: Pets 911 - August 14, 2008

By Kayleigh Jean

I would like to warn readers about the cruel and inhumane conditions of puppy mills and ways to help stop them. “Puppy mills” are the breeders behind the cute puppy Web sites, ads in local newspapers and even pet stores. Puppy mills produce massive numbers of puppies that live in horrific conditions. Also, when female breeding dogs are no longer useful, they are shot and killed.

Most of the dogs do not even know how to walk because they are kept in cages 24 hours a day. Their paws are raw and bloody from their caged cells, and most have never even seen grass. The dogs that are too big for cages are kept outside in the freezing cold and the scorching heat, day and night.

The conditions the puppies are born into are not only horrific, but have lasting effects on their health and well-being. Not only do the puppies suffer the rest of their lives, but the owners who buy them suffer the medical costs as well.

Too many people think they are “rescuing” a puppy by buying it from a pet store or answering an ad in a newspaper, when really they are supporting the puppy mills. By buying a puppy from a puppy mill, another dog is instantly bred to create more puppies. No one should ever buy a puppy without knowing and seeing where it came from, its parents and the conditions into which it was born.

Many people also desire purebred dogs and think they can only get one through a breeder, which is false. There are many animal adoption Web sites that will find the breed being sought,such as www.petfinder.org and www.pets911.com. So, how can we stop the cruelty and inhumane conditions of puppy mills?

In conclusion, anyone who loves dogs and wants to discontinue the abuse that puppy mills create, should not support puppy mills in any way.

Plenty Magazine: Recycling and Reusing Glass: It’s a Picnic

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 12, 2008

Recycling glass containers is clearly a good deal for the environment:  90 percent of recycled glass goes into new glass containers, while using 40 percent less energy than making new glass from scratch. Reusing glass this way also reduces air pollution by 20 percent, and water pollution by 50 percent. Plus, it’s a growing trend:  Only 750,000 tons of glass were recovered in 1980, compared with 2.9 million tons in 2006. That’s 22 percent recycled out of 13.2 million tons that ended up in municipal solid waste. Okay, so we’ve still got a ways to go.

Not sure if glass is recycled curbside in your area, or whether you have to take it to a recycling center, or whatever? Type in “glass” and your zipcode in the search tool at Earth911. Save yourself the effort, though, with regard to lightbulbs, windowpanes or glass cookware; these contain ceramics and cannot be recycled. On the other hand, defunct energy-saving compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), which use 80 percent less energy and last 10 times as long as conventional bulbs, but contain small amounts of toxic mercury, can now be dropped off in recycling bins at Home Depot and IKEA stores.  All the more reason to buy them instead of incandescents.

If you’re a hoarder, like us, you probably can’t bear to part with the lovely embossed rubber-lidded jars. So take them on a picnic. Jars are great for carrying salad dressing or grated cheese, and for packing individual servings of beans and rice, pasta, pudding. No need for plates, just chopsticks or forks. Dig in!

Pottsville Republican & Herald: Agencies Push Recycling of Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, Mercury Safety

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 11, 2008

BY Stephanie Lasota

A bright idea to conserve energy may require special disposal.

Some organizations, local municipalities and businesses are encouraging people who purchase compact fluorescent lightbulbs, which contain an average of 5 milligrams of mercury, to recycle the lights.

Agencies are also emphasizing care when handling the bulbs.

“The amount of mercury contained in a CFL is less than 5 milligrams, which could fit on the head of a ballpoint pen. While they are intact, none of the mercury can leach into the surrounding environment; however, if CFLs break, it’s important to open windows and remove any people or pets for at least 15 minutes,” said Patty Barthel, community relations coordinator for Waste Management, who announced a CFL recycling program in July. “The risk is not significant, but exposure can be dangerous, particularly to elderly and small children.”

Collecting bulbs

In March, 15 Schuylkill County municipalities participated in a PPL Corp. Earth Day promotion, which distributed recycling bins to accept expired CFLs at their respective government buildings.

Participating municipalities include Butler Township, Frackville, Girardville, Landingville, Mahanoy City, McAdoo, Mechanicsville, Minersville, New Castle Township, New Philadelphia, Pine Grove Township, Schuylkill Haven, Tamaqua, Tremont and Washington Township.

Frackville Councilman Patrick O’Boyle said the borough’s normal recycling program has grown in popularity.

“I can’t see why this wouldn’t be a success,” he said.

Mercury is an essential component of CFLs and allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. According to a press release from Waste Management, it is expected that some 4 billion CFLs will be used in households by 2012, but most people don’t know of “safe, convenient” ways to recycle them.

“We don’t want CFLs in the trash,” Barthel said.

Waste Management launched a nationwide online recycling program —ThinkGreenFromHome.com— at which people can order a recycling kit with prepaid postage for about $15. When the kit —which comes with a special vapor lock seal— is filled, you send the bulbs back to a recycling center through the mail, Barthel said.

“Each of those boxes can hold up to 15 of the spiral CFLs and what happens to them once we receive them is they go to a special processing center in Minneapolis, Minnesota,” Barthel said. “The bulbs are removed from the special vapor lock bags, the base part is separated from the glass part of the bulb, which is crushed, and the process removes the mercury powder from the glass. . . The mercury-containing powder goes to a different company and the glass goes for further recycling.”

About CFLs

PPL spokesman Ryan W. Hill said CFLs generate 75 percent less heat and use 75 percent less energy than a regular lightbulb.

“It saves people trips to the store, but it also reduces waste,” he said.

Hill said CFL users can visit Earth911.org and LampRecycle.org to explore local recycling options.

“It is something we encourage people to do, not to dispose of them in their trash, but to find a way to recycle them and I think there are more and more options becoming available to do that,” he said.

The Home Depot launched its national CFL recycling initiative in June.

A spokeswoman for the store said county residents could take their bulbs to the Saint Clair location on Route 61 for disposal.

According to a press release from The Home Depot, customers can bring any expired, unbroken CFLs and give them to the store associate behind the returns desk. The bulbs will then be managed by an environmental management company who will coordinate CFL packaging, transportation and recycling.

Hill said if a bulb does break at home, it’s important that the broken bulb should be double bagged before it is thrown away.

Arizona Daily Star: Q&A on the News

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 8, 2008

Question: I change my own oil. Are there any auto part stores that collect the used motor oil?

Answer: Yes. Go to the Web site earth911.org and search “motor oil” in your ZIP code or city. Be sure to call first to determine if the store is still accepting oil. Earth911.org offers recycling drop-off locations for paper, plastic, paint and other products.

According to the Web site, Earth 911’s free public service is made possible by partnering with the Environmental Protection Agency, state and local governments and private companies including Monsanto, Staples and BP.

Wilmington Star-News: Swimming Advisory Issued for Banks Channel

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 6, 2008

State Environmental Health officials this afternoon issued a swimming advisory for Banks Channel in Wrightsville Beach.

Three water samples taken Tuesday from the waterway across from the Blockade Runner Resort came back with enterococci bacteria levels of 271, 271 and 192 respectively.

The federal and state safe water-contact standard is 104 bacteria per 100 milliliters.

Enterococcus, while not harmful itself, often indicates the presence of other bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal and skin problems in humans.

While the advisory doesn’t ban swimming in the channel, it does recommend against water contact within 200 feet of the sign.

Banks Channel south of Causeway Drive historically has had water quality problems, with untreated stormwater runoff and waterfowl seen as the likely culprits. Boaters illegally dumping waste from their onboard toilets into the water also could be a cause of the contamination.

Officials took additional water samples today, with results expected Thursday.

If the samples are within safe limits, the swimming advisory will be lifted.

For current information about swimming advisories along the North Carolina coast, visit www.earth911.org.

EarthTalk: Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Filed under: Earth 911 - August 4, 2008

Dear EarthTalk: Why aren’t compact fluorescent light bulbs taking over more quickly from incandescents, given their substantial energy-saving advantage? And what about recycling them when they ultimately burn out? I’ve heard they contain mercury. —Nancy Holmes, Seaside, OR

Analysts at the nonprofit Earth Policy Institute (EPI) estimate that the United States could close 80 coal-fired power plants if Americans switched over en masse to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). A global shift, says EPI, could close some 270 power plants worldwide. CFLs use less than a third of the energy required to power a traditional incandescent light bulb to produce the same amount of light.

It’s hard to say exactly why a quicker transition over to CFLs hasn’t yet taken place in the U.S., given this substantial energy- and greenhouse gas-saving potential. China, Australia, Canada, Venezuela and Cuba have each committed to phasing out incandescent bulbs entirely within the next five years, and dozens of other countries, including all 27 members of the European Union, are deliberating whether to follow suit.

In lieu of a federal mandate in the U.S. calling for a switchover to CFLs the private sector, with some prodding from green groups, is taking some of its own initiatives. The nation’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, announced last year that it would double annual sales of CFLs to 100 million by 2008 as part of an effort to green both operations and inventory. Home Depot, Lowes and local hardware stores everywhere are getting into the act as well, giving CFLs prominent shelf space and offering deals to promote them. And Energy Federation, Inc., which has been promoting the use of CFLs since the 1980s, will ship direct to consumers anywhere from its Massachusetts warehouse.

Meanwhile, a coalition of nonprofits-including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Alliance to Save Energy, American Coalition for an Energy-Efficient Economy and Earth Day Network-has launched an initiative with Philips Lighting, the world’s biggest maker of CFLs, to get Americans to make the switch.

Switching over to CFLs doesn’t come without trade-offs. Bulbs each contain trace amounts of mercury (usually four to five milligrams), a toxic heavy metal. Exposure to mercury can cause a wide range of health problems, including damage to the central nervous system, kidneys and liver. It is also a major contaminant, polluting groundwater and waterways and posing a health threat to wildlife.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the amount of airborne mercury present after a CFL breaks is negligible. Nonetheless, the EPA recommends that when a CFL bulb breaks, you should immediately open the windows and vacate the premises for at least 15 minutes to minimize the risk of exposure. Afterwards, you should clean up the breakage using gloves and/or paper towels or disposable rags (and avoid using a vacuum cleaner, which can stir up the airborne mercury). Remaining fragments, as well as any paper towels or rags used to clean them up, should be sealed in a plastic bag and disposed of at a local household hazardous waste collection site.

Burned-out CFLs can also be disposed of at such sites or, in some cases, recycled at the store where they were bought. To locate a CFL recycling facility near you, visit earth911.org and type in your zip code.

Related links
Earth Policy Institute—www.earth-policy.org
Energy Federation, Inc.—www.efi.org
Earth911—www.earth911.org.

MPA Hopes For Bigger Green Impact

Filed under: Earth 911, Press Releases - August 4, 2008

The Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) has maintained a long and strong commitment to recycling and overall responsible publishing. Now the MPA has furthered that commitment with the debut of three new PSAs which direct consumers (and distributors) to recycle magazines.

The ads encourage people to visit www.earth911.org for information on how to recycle magazines in their specific geographical location. The tagline on all three ads is “Make It a Habit. Recycle.”

Logos were developed for the The MPA’s highly successful 2007 “Please Recycle This Magazine” and allowed publishers to consistently spread the message in every issue.